The Few Good Men
by mantisbelle
Summary: Loyalties can be dangerous things. Some will serve with the greater good in mind, while others will have doubts. Some won't get much of a choice in where their loyalties lie. Some will pay with their lives for their loyalties. Ozpin is a dangerous person to be loyal to.


**1\. The Right Hand Woman**

When Ozpin had needed a right hand, she had been the one chosen for the task. She was a great huntress after all, with a good head for managing the world around her and a semblance that matched. She could alter the world around her with the flick of a wrist, and if it wasn't for Glynda's morals she would have been _feared_.

Because Ozpin had selected her as the deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, she ended up feared anyways. But her job was to ensure that the next generation of Hunters was raised up correctly and were properly prepared for the careers ahead of them, whatever they may be. Not all of them were always ready, but she did her best.

But that wasn't the only reason that Ozpin kept her close. She didn't _just_ educate and train students, she was one of the hand-picked protectors of the world. It was a sign of Ozpin's trust in her, that she would be chosen for such a task.

But of course, knowing what she was training her students for helped. The students didn't know about relics hidden deep within the school, but they would undoubtedly protect Beacon Academy should circumstances arise where it was needed.

Normally, she had faith in Ozpin. She had faith in knowledge and experience that nobody else had, but she couldn't pretend that once in awhile her faith would waver for just a moment. It was never hard to get back to a point where she trusted in the headmaster again.

But things had changed.

Beacon had fallen for reasons that nobody could have possibly predicted. Ozpin was gone, missing, probably dead. Amber was dead. Pyrrha Nikos was dead. A girl that fought in the tournament (A robot, she reminds herself) was torn to pieces. Her friends were scattered to the wind.

Qrow had gone off in search of answers, bearing Ozpin's cane.

James had gone back to Atlas, bearing a lifetime of guilt.

Thousands evacuated Vale. The CCT fell. The world thought that Atlas had declared war by surprise.

Glynda had stayed. She wasn't the only one that stayed there, but she stayed. With her abilities she was the best one that could have gone ahead in rebuilding the city and academy to their former glory. It was for the best that she stayed there.

Nobody else was left in Vale that knew about the relic, and so it was up to her to defend it. Glynda was ready to do so, even if it would end up costing her her life. Beacon had already fallen, but the least that could be done was that the relic could be protected by the few that were left.

And Glynda was ready for fight, for humanity and for her lost friend alike.

 **2\. The Man Full of Doubts**

The first time that General James Ironwood, Headmaster of Atlas Academy had met Ozpin, he'd been a young man. Barely more than a boy, barely out of Atlas Academy. He'd born no titles, only a low rank and his own name.

If it were not for the fact that he was serving as aide-de-camp to the old General whose position James would one day inherit, James supposed he never may have met Ozpin.

But he'd been chosen for a position and was being trained for it.

For a long time, he may have resented Ozpin on some level. There was a certain sort of frustration with Ozpin that had always built up within James, even back when he was young. It came from a lot of places. It came from being cast out of rooms for reasons that nobody was willing to speak of, mostly.

His mentor was kind about sending him out. His mentor had never told him a word about what those meetings had been for. Normally the General told him everything.

Things changed though. The old General retired. James Ironwood ascended to greatness, honors, and titles.

Suddenly he was allowed to know the secrets of the world.

When James was inducted into Ozpin's group, that was when his entire life had really begun to spin and change and flip upside down. The new knowledges that Ozpin had given him were enough to make him realize that there was much more that he was fighting for than he had originally thought.

But he'd put himself to work. He found his loyalties and he'd decided to stand by Ozpin. He did the best that he could for his own kingdom, and the day he became the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, James realized that he had even more to do. He had more to protect.

James had dedicated himself to it.

He lost his body fighting Grimm, and when he was broken and damaged, Ozpin still found use for him. Ozpin still took him in and told him that he had worth. It had only served to make James more loyal.

It couldn't last forever. As James grew older and more aware, he began to slip and his loyalty began to falter.

Ozpin had flaws- a lot of them which James couldn't find ways to deal with. Ozpin was complacent. Ozpin saw people as pawns. Ozpin expected that children could save the world.

It had come to a head when Qrow had sent them the message. Qrow's words burned in the back of his head.

 _Queen has pawns._

Salem had pawns, and they were active and making moves from within the kingdom. And Ozpin had done nothing, content to sit and wait to see how Salem's forces would. And for a little while, James was merely frustrated with it.

But he flew down to Vale from Atlas, and he brought an army behind him. Ozpin wasn't going to do anything to protect that city, James had been sure of it. The people needed someone that would be willing to act, and James hadn't been afraid to be that man.

The breach had been the last straw. James hadn't wanted to go Ozpin's back, but he'd had to. Vale needed protecting and its protector wasn't going to do anything. Their protector was too willing to believe in children, even in the middle of a crime spree. With the Vytal Tournament looming, that wasn't acceptable.

James had needed to step in for Vale's sake. How that had become a mantra for him. It was for the greater good. It was for the greater good, no matter how much went wrong. Intent mattered. All he'd wanted was to _protect_..

From time to time, James wondered why the Vale council hadn't removed Ozpin. He himself was a member of the Atlas Council and he was sure that if he had ever been anywhere nearly as complacent as Ozpin was, he would have surely been removed from his position for it.

Regardless of how many seats or votes he held.

But things had changed again.

Vale had fallen.

Beacon was destroyed.

The girl that Ozpin had hand-chosen to be the new maiden had fallen at the top of Beacon Tower.

Her name was Pyrrha Nikos. She'd fought Penny.

James tried not to think about Penny. He'd already done everything in his power to apologize for her. To her. To her father. He'd done everything that he could think of and still, it wasn't enough.

Guilt was a heavy thing.

Ozpin had told him not to bring his forces, and when the tower fell his forces had turned on innocents. On huntsmen looking to protect. (They had just been students. They weren't anymore. They were hunters now. Children no longer.) The army that he'd built with saving lives in mind had cost them so many.

So many soldiers. Civilians. Children. Hunters. All dead.

James couldn't pretend that he didn't carry every single death as another weight on his shoulders. Ozpin had always said that he had always needed to carry the whole world on his shoulders, and now James was sure that he was being crushed by all of it.

Forgiveness wasn't going to be easily won. Qrow wasn't going to want him around anymore. Glynda wasn't going to want him around either.

Ozpin was dead.

James couldn't help but to blame himself for it.

Someone had to carry the blame for the fall of Beacon, after all.

James was sure he'd never stop mourning for his fallen friend. He didn't know whether Ozpin would ever forgive him for it.

He didn't deserve it.

And so James had to make it his duty to make whatever amends he could.

Somehow, he doubted they would ever be enough.

 **3\. The Man Without Luck**

For the first seventeen years in his life, Qrow had only had one constant.

That constant was his twin, Raven.

For seventeen years, the only person that had mattered had been Raven. He'd had a tribe that he was sure hated him, parents- gone. Sister, present but always distant. Despite it all, Raven was always a constant.

It was different from how most were brought up, and so the first chance to get out of that and start living in society was a bit of a culture shock. Beacon Academy was part of the worst of it, between pranks being played on him by Taiyang and having to learn to adjust to having an actual schedule that wasn't just getting up in the morning and doing whatever needed to be done. Staying in one place was hard.

Ozpin had helped him through a lot of that. Reassured him that all of the bad things that happened weren't necessarily his fault, but also wouldn't hesitate not to play tricks on Qrow like everyone else.

Qrow liked that. It made him feel like he wasn't some special case.

Ozpin had given him a surprising amount of support over the years that he was at Beacon, and then even after. Ozpin showed him that there was a way to live over than bouncing from village to village and attacking them. There were ways to get by without killing.

When Qrow finally graduated, he briefly parted ways with Ozpin to go off and adventure with his teammates.

Things changed.

Raven had a daughter with Taiyang. Raven ran.

Qrow would never stop missing her, but he couldn't call her family after that. After she'd abandoned her family for the tribe.

He missed her. He wasn't the only one.

Summer and Taiyang had a daughter. Summer died.

Qrow stepped in to take care of Taiyang for the girls for as long as he was needed.

Taiyang would recover. Ruby and Yang would grow up.

Qrow would drink.

Ozpin gave Qrow a mantra- sometimes bad things just happen. Qrow clung to it because it was a way to keep himself from taking all the blame. A flawed semblance didn't determine everything.

Ozpin helped Qrow find stable work that wouldn't send him out into the field constantly. He could work at Signal Academy, teach the little ones how to use their first weapons, and Qrow could stay close to his family and look after them. All in all, it was a pretty good gig, and it let him keep an eye on Ruby and Yang as they got older.

He was maybe a year into teaching when Ozpin called him back to Beacon for a meeting.

Qrow hadn't quite been ready for a lot of it, but Ozpin had needed him, and Qrow figured it was a good way to keep people safe from him.

He agreed, and he went off collecting information and watching after Maidens as he was needed.

Too bad that wouldn't last as a good thing that long.

He _almost_ saved Amber.

Ozpin forgave him.

He told the others that Salem had pawns, and James Ironwood brought an army to Atlas on his behalf.

Qrow hadn't been happy about that. He went to Beacon and clashed with the General. Ozpin had been content to let them squabble, adjusting plans along the way.

Beacon fell. Qrow fought.

He retrieved his niece from the top of Beacon Tower and wrapped her up in her cloak as best as he could as he got her back down to safety. That was the day that he truly began to mourn for his family. The pieces that hadn't been broken yet were now hurt as well.

Yang was missing an arm. Raven hadn't come to save her. Ruby had watched a friend die and had gained her magic for it.

Ozpin was missing, aside from a cane that they'd found down in the Beacon Vault. It had been a debate who should take it between himself and Glynda, and in the end the two of them had decided that Qrow would take it and go off looking to find the pieces that would make their next battle plan. Someone had to find out who had done this aside from Cinder Fall ( _how hadn't he recognized her face?_ ) Glynda stayed in Vale. James fled to Atlas, probably expecting an execution and trial.

But Qrow? He followed Ruby and kept her safe. He kept his eyes open.

Ozpin was gone and had left behind a big set of shoes to fill.

Qrow was glad to be the one filling them, regardless of what the cost was going to be at the end of the day.

But it was _hard_. People were after Ruby. He'd been stung by a scorpion faunus and left to die, and without medicine he didn't know that he could recover. The kids knew now though. If he didn't make it, they at least knew the truth.

When Qrow lay in his fevered dying state, a thousand images would flit behind his eyes. Summer, dying. Raven, leaving. Taiyang, crying. Ruby's eyes. Yang's hair. Ozpin's smile. James' eyes filled with fear when the Griffon had come to attack (he'd been afraid of Qrow. That wasn't something Qrow could ever forget. His friend had been afraid of him.)

How he wished that he didn't have to see any of them.

 **4\. The Girl That Was Born Great**

She hadn't had a choice in this.

She hadn't had a choice in who her mother was, or in the fact that she inherited a gift from her.

Ruby hadn't thought that something as simple as her eye color would mean that she was destined to be a great warrior. And now she was saddled with a gift she barely understood, and people coming after her because they were afraid of what she could come to be.

The first time that she'd met Ozpin had been a long night. She'd been tired from going after Roman Torchwick (oh how she wished she could forget about him. She'd watched him die. She could never erase that she had watched him die. She could never forget the beating he'd given her beforehand.)

Cinder showing up that night had been a surprise, as was Glynda's appearance.

Glynda had protected her, and when things were safe Glynda had delivered her to Professor Ozpin.

Even then Ruby had thought that it was strange that the first time Professor Ozpin commented on was her eye color.

But she hadn't known then. Ruby had just thought it was Professor Ozpin being eccentric.

It had only been after Beacon had fallen, after she'd watched two friends and one enemy die that things had begun to come to light. Her vision had gone white, and she'd been sure that she'd heard Uncle Qrow's voice. And her dad's.

She woke up to her father, and then Uncle Qrow had gotten her alone to explain everything.

She was special, and Professor Ozpin had _known_ that.

Ozpin and Qrow had both known that and neither had said _anything_ to her until it was too late.

But Ozpin was gone now. Dead. The school that Ruby had been coming to call home was ruined, crumbled into dust and as far as Ruby knew people were probably trying to restore it.

But with the school and Ozpin gone, Ruby had gone to Mistral because Qrow had said that it was where the enemy may lie. She didn't know whether that was true or not, but the world was falling apart and someone had to step in and do something.

Ruby knew that she wasn't the strongest person, or the bravest, or anything like that. But she wanted to save the world, and if she could do that, she was going to do it.

She should have figured that Qrow wouldn't just leave her alone. He was looking for answers and to save the world too, for better or for worse. It had been Qrow who told her Ozpin's stories and secrets, and Ruby wasn't sure whether she would have wanted to hear it from the fallen headmaster or not.

Ruby wasn't sure that Ozpin was actually the type that would tell her things outright. Based on what Qrow had explained about the bigger fight at hand, it sounded like Ozpin wasn't very forthright with people at all about the things that were out there to fight. It was scary to think about, but Ruby needed to keep going. She needed to fight.

People were after her. She could deal with that as long as she stuck by Qrow (she was so worried about him) and her new team (she missed the rest of team RWBY more than anything. She wondered whether they would fight the bigger fight with her.)

Ruby wondered what Ozpin would have done, if the headmaster knew what was happening now. Would she be left to deal with this on her own, or would she be helped? Would she be given comfort in the form of a plate of cookies and kind words? Would she be given nothing but vagueness? Would Ozpin bend rules to get her to success again?

The world needed her, even if she was young and inexperienced as she was now.

But she was destined to be a great warrior, and though she wished she had some proper guidance on what that meant, Ruby was willing to accept that.

Ruby Rose sincerely believed that she was going to be able to save the world, for people, for Pyrrha, for Penny, for Ozpin.

 **5\. The One With Greatness Thrust Upon Him**

Oscar didn't want anything to do with Ozpin.

In fact, Oscar was mostly content to just be a farmboy and live with his aunt because that way the only things that he had to worry about was what he would have for dinner that night. He could spend his nights reading and not have a care in the world.

But that had been before things had started to change.

At first, he'd thought that he was just having nightmares. That he was seeing things that his mind had conjured because of hearing too much bad news about the happenings in Vale. But then things had begun to change.

It had all come to a head the first day that he didn't quite recognize himself in a mirror. He looked in, and he saw someone that was _almost_ like him peering back.

That had been when he'd first heard Ozpin's voice.

Oscar knew enough to tell him that hearing a voice was bad news, and the fact that this was a voice that made a lot of claims just left him worrying and fighting. Ozpin would claim that the two of them (or rather, _Oscar_ ) needed to go to Haven for reasons that Oscar didn't understand.

There were times where Oscar became less and less sure of who he was. Of what he remembered. He shouldn't have been able to recall things that he was sure that he'd only seen photographs of in books so easily, and yet he could.

But then it got worse. Ozpin would tell him stories about others in the world.

And every time and always, Ozpin would urge him to leave his aunt who loved him and gave him a place to live. Ozpin would urge him to leave behind the farm and warm meals and a bed with a patchwork quilt that Oscar had owned for as long as he could remember. Ozpin urged him to leave behind his entire life for causes that Oscar was yet to understand.

Ozpin didn't know how hard it was to fight for his body like that. Ozpin didn't seem to care.

Oscar cared. Oscar cared a lot.

He wanted absolutely nothing to do with Ozpin, but it seemed that fate or destiny or something equally terrifying had forced them together.

And Oscar was sure he would never stop wanting to fight Ozpin until the day he died.

It was his body and his head after all.

 **+1 The Girl That Almost Achieved Greatness**

Pyrrha Nikos died a hero's death which she should not have.

The world knew her as the invincible girl, and she had died.

Ozpin had accepted her into the school gladly. The girl was a champion fighter and quickly proved to be one of the kindest people that had ever walked the halls of Beacon Academy.

She arrived at the academy already proven. She already had the mark of a true huntress, and she already knew the ins and outs of battle better than anyone. It wasn't every day that a student would arrive already so well-proven and so eager to improve.

All of the cereal endorsements and championship earnings in the world couldn't save Pyrrha Nikos.

When the world had needed a guardian, it hadn't been a hard choice for Ozpin to make. She was standing there, ready-made and strong willed enough for the job.

Pyrrha Nikos was intelligent.

Pyrrha Nikos was kind.

Pyrrha Nikos was dedicated.

Pyrrha Nikos was _dead_.

Like Ozpin, there was no body left behind. Like Ozpin, she had fought as valiantly as she could against an enemy that was impossibly strong, and she too had fallen at the hand of Cinder Fall.

Ozpin had wanted Pyrrha to be the next fall maiden. There was nobody better suited for it, but now she was gone and Ozpin felt all of the blame for it. There were a lot of things in play that had certainly changed things.

The boy never could have been a good enough guard against Cinder, even with only half of the maiden's power in her grasp.

The machine wasn't fast enough.

The only one that had been anticipating such a great attack on Beacon had been James, and even then his army had ended up being ineffective in the middle of the chaos.

Ozpin didn't know what had happened to the soul of Pyrrha Nikos. She probably hadn't bonded to the soul of another as Ozpin had, and if she had, there was no telling to whom she was now attached.

Ozpin hoped that Pyrrha didn't meet that fate. It was a cruel one that nobody deserved to have to experience.

Mostly, Ozpin mourned for a life that could have theoretically been saved.

Pyrrha Nikos had died a hero's death, yes. But it wasn't one that should have ever happened.

And Ozpin was never going to be able to find forgiveness for that fact.


End file.
